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Corps of Engineers to hold meetings about dredging plan

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This is the Buck Creek site just southwest of the Clayton County Highway X56 and Buck Creek Road intersection and about two miles north of Guttenberg. The Buck Creek site offers free sand for anyone who wants it. (Corps of Engineers photo)

By Ted Pennekamp

 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will be holding public meetings sometime this summer seeking input from citizens regarding their ongoing and evolving dredged material plan for Pools 9 and 10.

“We recently held internal meetings to identify potential opportunities and are now looking at ways of getting the public’s comments too,” said Patrick Moes, Corps of Engineers Public Affairs. “The details are still being worked out since we have to minimize potential COVID-19 exposure to the public and our staff.”

Paul Machajewski, channel maintenance coordinator with the Corps of Engineers, said the Corps hopes to have in-person public scoping meetings this spring or early summer in Guttenberg, Iowa and in Prairie du Chien. Machajewski said the Corps would like ideas for uses for the dredged material so they only have to handle it once, thus lowering time, effort and costs. They would like to place the dredged sand in its final resting place from the outset. 

Possible uses for the sand include habitat projects such as the McGregor Lake Project, as well as creating new islands, restoring islands lost due to the high water of the past five years, and shoreline protection projects.

“We’re gonna generate a lot of sand,” said Machajewski, who noted that any ideas from the general public are certainly welcome. 

In Pool 9, dredging will take place mostly in the Lansing, Iowa area and averages about 60,000 cubic yards of dredged sand per year. The sand will be placed near the Wisconsin end of the Lansing Bridge and is free for anyone who wants it, said Machajewski. The Corps dredges approximately 1 million cubic yards of sand every year between Minneapolis and Guttenberg, Iowa. Machajewski said 10 to 20 percent of that total comes from Pools 9 and 10.

The sand is often used by farmers for cattle bedding, as well as for foundations for construction projects, to elevate baseball fields, and for winter rural maintenance projects.

The 5-year, $17 million McGregor Lake Project began in April of 2020, and the Corps has been transporting much of its dredged sand from near Guttenberg to the project site between McGregor and Prairie du Chien. It was a drier season this past winter and there was not as much snow-pack in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. Thus, it is expected that the river stage at McGregor will be lower this summer than it was last year, depending upon future weather. Machajewski said the McGregor Lake Project, however, is easier to conduct when the river is higher.

In addition to placing dredged sand at the McGregor Lake Project, much material dredged from near Guttenberg is placed temporarily at nearby McMillan Island and later transported to the Buck Creek Road site just southwest of the Clayton County Highway X56 and Buck Creek Road intersection about two miles north of Guttenberg. This sand is also free to anyone. Anyone who wants the free sand can call (651) 290-5866 for more information, or just come to the site.

Machajewski said the  dredged material management plan will take shape over the next year or two, and will help shape the Corps’ dredging needs for the next 20 to 40 years. 

“We are looking forward to collaborative work with communities to find long-term solutions as well as learning from previous projects,” said Machajewski, who noted that local citizens know about their area and the potential for acquiring sites to place the sand. He also said the planning process will help to make the Corps more efficient regarding dredged material. 

The lock and dam system is more efficient with lower water, and the Corps of Engineers is trending towards dredging more, so they are certainly eager to hear any and all ideas. Of course, the Prairie du Chien and Guttenberg communities will be informed as to when the scoping meetings this spring or summer will occur.

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